1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to methods that simplify the design of systems that were previously custom-designed. The methods provide pre-engineered and manufactured modular components that may be used to satisfy specified requirements and that were previously custom-designed, and coupling those pre-engineered components with simpler custom engineered and manufactured components. In particular, this invention relates to an engineered air conditioning system made up of pre-engineered components as well as components that are used to satisfy specified requirements by being custom-designed, built, and added to the pre-engineered components, after the specified requirements are determined.
2. Description of Related Art
Air-conditioning is a process that simultaneously conditions air; distributes it to the conditioned space; and at the same time controls and maintains the required space's temperature, humidity, air movement, air cleanliness, sound level, and pressure differential within predetermined limits for the health and comfort of the occupants, for product processing, or both.
The acronym HVAC&R stands for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigerating. The combination of these processes is equivalent to the functions performed by air-conditioning.
An air-conditioning or HVAC&R system includes components and equipment arranged in sequential order to heat or cool, humidify or dehumidify, clean and purify, attenuate objectionable equipment noise, transport the conditioned outdoor air and recirculated air to the conditioned space, and control and maintain an indoor or enclosed environment at optimum energy use.
In many industries, a specifying engineer determines a customer's requirements and the supplier of the equipment will custom manufacture the equipment to satisfy those customer requirements. In particular, in the construction industry, a new building or renovations for an existing building will be designed. Typically, once a proposed final layout of the building is determined, a specifying engineer works with the customer to determine the specific requirements of the HVAC&R system. Then a custom air-conditioning unit is conceived to meet the customer's specific need. The specifying engineer then makes technical schematics of the equipment. Included with the schematics are dimensions, weights, air flow performance, sound levels, air-conditioning and heating capacities, sizes of fans and motors, voltage, maximum electrical current, and specifications on materials and techniques of construction. Also included are control sequences that indicate to the user how and when the equipment is to operate in order to satisfy the requirements of the specific air-conditioning application.
Once the customer and the specifying engineer agree on a design that will meet the customer's needs and the overall building design is complete, the mechanical part of the job, which includes the HVAC equipment, goes out for bid by the manufacturers of HVAC equipment. Once the successful manufacturer is selected, a purchase order is placed. In order for a manufacturer/supplier to properly bid a custom-made air-conditioning product, it is imperative that the total labor hours to produce the product be known and that all parts, pieces, and components, and their costs and delivery times, be taken into account.
Typically, the time allowed a supplier of the custom air-conditioning equipment to arrive at a price to quote is very short—on the order of days and not weeks. In addition, the customer is expecting a price for this custom equipment that is only slightly higher than the standard, pre-designed equipment and a delivery time that is also comparable to that of standard equipment. Therefore, the greater the database of component costs and delivery times, labor costs from prior similar jobs, and previous designs that can modified or drawn from, the better off a supplier will be in meeting the customer's needs and also in meeting the supplier's own profit goals.